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John Gorrie Museum State Park - August is Perfect Time to Visit Home of Modern Air Conditioning!

When you walk into the modest brick building nestled in the middle of Apalachicola's Historic District, you might not fully appreciate the significance of the odd little contraption on display there. Well, be amazed, because this humble jumble of metal and wood is the country's first ice-making machine and the forerunner of today's modern air conditioning! The invention is the brainchild of Dr. John Gorrie, a physician who lived and worked in Apalachicola during the early 1800s.

Concern for his yellow fever patients motivated Dr. Gorrie to invent a method for cooling his yellow fever patient rooms. Gorrie succeeded in inventing a machine that produced ice and thereby became a pioneer in the field of air conditioning and refrigeration. Today a replica of his ice-making machine is on display at the museum. The John Gorrie Museum State Park is located on 6th Street, one block east off U.S. 98 in Apalachicola.

Posted on Aug 19, 2011 at 3:38 PM

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Salty burlap bags full of Apalachicola Bay oysters are a Franklin County icon.
Earthy, unpretentious, yet strong and resilient, burlap symbolizes much of what
Franklin County embodies in its people, places and culture.